One Month Challenge
by Ennju
Summary: "One month challenge, it's also called the 'Aihara Mei Challenge'. They said that if you confess your love to her, no matter who you are, she will go out with you. But of course, there's a huge twist to that." Harumi tapped the blonde's shoulders repeatedly. "No one has ever dated her for more than a month."
1. Chapter 1 - The Meeting

**A/N**: Hello, everyone!

I'm sorry for the long hiatus, college is hell, everything is hell, even the latest chapters of Citrus are hell! I just want them to love each other but I guess love isn't really easy.

Anyway, I tried to write a new fanfic entitled the "One Month Challenge", I wrote it in my free time because, just once, I want Mei to be the one to take the lead. I hope you like it! It might take months for the update.~

I'm also sorry I haven't continued my other work, "Intertwined", I still don't have the right ideas for it. I'll continue it in the future, if I can. :D

_Additional note:_ Since this is an AU, they are not sisters in this fic. Once again, Yuzu has a different surname, "Miyamura".

x

"Rise. Bow. Class dismissed."

"Haaaaaaaaah…"

Yuzu's exhale was filled with relief. Her last class felt like almost an eternity to end, adding the boring old voice of her professor for unnecessary headache. She massaged her head slowly as possible as she sunk herself again to her beloved chair and table. Closing her eyes, the day felt longer than usual, especially with so many things boggling inside her mind.

"Yo! Yuzu!" She heard a heavy but excited hand slamming the table she is currently resting into. She did not even bother looking at the perpetrator, since only one person could ever earn that kind of cheerful and enthusiastic voice.

"Come shopping with me."

"Don't wanna."

"There's a sale."

"Not in the mood."

"What the hell happened to you?"

"Many things."

"With that kind of answering, you'll never get a lover, you know?"

"I know."

Yuzu leaned forward and boringly rested her head on her free hand currently placed on the desk.

"I already got dumped. Don't worry."

"Serves you r.. Wait.." At first, it's a just a normal, casual mouth widening, then her breathing slowly staggered, and finally, so suddenly, her eyes widened like she had seen a 1000 year old ghost. "Wait, What?! Really?! How come I don't know this?! When?! How?! Wait! Why!?" Harumi shifted closer to whisper. "The guy from class 2-C?"

"Yeah. Yesterday." The dejected blonde uttered as she glanced at the window beside her with a downcast eyes. "Haha… damn. This sucks."

This really sucks.

Her recent breakup was not what like she had experienced before. She definitely liked the guy, if stated in teenager terms, she considered that guy to be almost her dream guy. Like a normal high school woman, she thought herself to be a princess, with him as her perfect, charming, fitting prince.  
It was almost a bliss.  
But yesterday, her fairy tale dream life was shattered.

"He told me I wasn't the person he thought I was."

Harumi grimaced. "Oh." She looked at the blonde with the sternest expression she could ever muster. "I'm sorry, I said something I shouldn't have."  
Yuzu blinked several times before flashing a gentle smile at her best friend. "Hey there, young lady. It's okay." She was happy Harumi was concerned about her.  
That was enough.

That mattered to her more than anything and anybody else.

"Hmmmmm! I feel refreshed!" Yuzu excitedly stretched. She will be happy for her best friend. She doesn't want her to worry.

"Damn that asshole, Watch his neck, Harumin. I'll definitely get a serious lover next time and make him regret that he dumped me!"

The brunette smiled after releasing a heavy breathing. She was extremely relieved that her best friend is finally cheering up. Her determined smile gave her the cue to continue her jokes and her random little rants.  
Unbeknownst to them, that statement is the start of something so unexpected.

"Hah! If you want a serious lover, then I bet you won't even last an hour with the One Month Challenge!"

"…One Month Challenge?" Yuzu interrupted her. Is that a game?

"What's that?"

"Huh?" Harumi grabbed the collar of Yuzu's uniform and jerked her forward. "Huh?!" She almost shouted loud enough for her eardrums to crack and crumble. "You don't know that?!"

"Wha…" She was stunned with Harumi's sudden outburst. This was unusual. "I-I won't ask you if I know!" Was that something so important and popular for her to panic like that?

After calming herself for some long seconds, she finally inquired. "So, enlighten me, please. What is that very intriguing One Month Challenge that I "should have known"?"

Harumi released her grip and sighed heavily. "How the hell are you not aware, that's the number one talk of the school right now…" After calming herself down after a few exhales and adjusting her wrinkled necktie due to her outburst, she followed. "Anyway, it's also called the 'Aihara Mei Challenge'. They said that if you confess your love to her, no matter who you are, she will go out with you. But of course, there's a huge twist to that." Harumi tapped the blonde's shoulders repeatedly. "No one has ever dated her for more than a month."

"O-One month?!" Now it's Yuzu's turn to shout. "Wait... Wait, wait, wait, wait. 'Aihara Mei'? Isn't that our…"

"Yes. Our Student Council President."

Aihara Mei.

_The Aihara Mei._

If all the male population in their school was asked who the most beautiful woman within their academy is, majority will definitely answer her name, with or without girlfriend. She was also the top one of their batch, awarded as the most responsible student, add the athletic skills, her wealth, her gracefulness, her perplexing features and many many many more factors, she is, no doubt, the epitome of what every man loved.

"Wow… wait, why? I mean, that **is** Aihara Mei, the perfect extreme ever-so-gorgeous goddess of this academy, yet no one even lasted for a single month?"

Harumi crossed her arms while facing the blonde. "Yeah, honestly, I was surprised too. But from what I've heard, Tomoda, the guy sitting in front, was crying like a little pig last week because Prez dumped her after dating him for only three weeks."

"Damn." Yuzu lowered her head. "That's awful." Yuzu muttered silently. She tightly curled her fingers.

"I know, right? And now, they're betting for Yamada of class 2-B if he can date the Prez for longer than 3 weeks."

Harumi raised her shoulder to express her disgust. "It quickly turned into a betting game."

"..."

"Hmm?" Harumi noticed the silent reply of the blonde. Turning to her direction, she was astonished to see the other person wearing a dark horrified expression. This was the first time she saw Yuzu with that kind of face. She was definitely not pleased with the latest gossip.

"How could they…" She clenched her fist tighter. She was devastated with the news, even if she was not involved, she was entirely offended. The way they played with human emotions, the way they treated relationships like a game, as someone whose heart was recently broken for treating love seriously, this event, for her, was extremely disappointing. "…How could they even play with people's feelings like that…"  
Harumi noticed the trembling fists of the other. This is not good.

"Hey, Yuzu-"

"Harumi! You're on a cleaning duty today!"

"Argh, damn, wrong timing!" Harumi angrily muttered. "I'm coming! Yuzu, calm down and stay here, okay? I'll just go throw the trash out. I'll be back in bit!" Harumi hurriedly ran to the shouting classmate of theirs and quickly apologized.

"Okay." Yuzu sadly smiled. She tried to divert her attention to the scenery outside the window to calm herself down, but it's not working. She was too disturbed with the 'One Month Challenge' that even the beautiful dancing of the leaves can't even make her heart and mind at ease.  
Aihara Mei had everything: Looks, fame, intelligence, admiration. Everyone would definitely want her. She can have anyone she wanted, yet no one even lasted longer than a month.  
She firmly believed that having those qualities will give her the things she really wanted, but it looks like she was completely wrong. It even reached up to the point that she had to hurt the people who loved her and people betting on her, it's not even a healthy challenge anymore.  
No matter what her reasons are for dating someone not longer than a month, for accepting every given confession, planting people false hopes that someone as gorgeous as her can finally love someone like them, no matter what angle you look at it, it's just…

"…feels so wrong." Yuzu furiously, weakly whispered.

x

_1st week: Monday_

"Ugh." Yuzu grumbled while carrying a huge black bag of trash.  
It's Monday, the perfect day for shopping at the perfect store with the perfect sale discount, yet here she was, dragging some big bag of trash in the middle of a cold November. The fact that she was a part of the cleaning duty every Monday was the only one thing she forgot of all the other information that she can forget.

"Haaah, heavens, is the goddess of bad luck my hidden guardian angel?" Yuzu exasperatedly sighed as she threw the said trash bag at the schoolyard's enormous trash pit.

"Finally! One work done!" Yuzu finally smiled like a little kid after the hard work. She imagined herself mall-ing around with Harumi, feeling every clothing with the biggest sale was enough for her to be excited like this. She strolled clumsily while humming a happy little tune then walked at nearest narrow alleyway closer to the stairs and turned right-

"Please, we can still fix this…" A man's voice echoed all throughout the hallway.  
Judging from the loudness of his voice, it's safe to assume that he was at the alleyway under the stairs.  
A lover's quarrel? Yuzu can't help but hide and listen because of the small distance between the stairs and the couple. Maybe she'll just stay quiet and listen for a while until the coast is clear to avoid distraction and appearance or her presence and they might apprehend her.

"Please..." The young man desperately pleaded. "Please give me one more chance. I love you, I really do. Please.." His voice filled with desperation and melancholy. Yuzu can feel the man's pain just by listening to the sound of his voice. If she's the girl, she'll definitely on the spot forgive the guy, hug him and kiss him and-

"No."

Yet, the reply was brief and concise. The seriousness of the other's voice was enough to make the hidden blonde cringe. That voice, Yuzu thought, was enough proof that the girl really had enough.

"But-"

"I'm sorry." The girl heaved a short breath. "I'm sorry for the past few days, but no matter what I do, I…" After a short pause, she continued. "I really can't fall in love with you."

After a while, soft sobs can be heard from a distance. The guy must really be devastated, devastated enough to cry for a girl.  
'I hope I can also find a guy like that.' Yuzu gloomily thought.

"I'm so sorry." The girl said, followed by a hurried set of footsteps coming closer to Yuzu's direction.

Closer.

'What?!' Closer.

'Damn, damn, damn, damn, I'll be discovered!' Yuzu can feel her breathing stopped for a while. Her blood flowing rapidly. Cold sweat was forming.

She can almost feel the nearing presence.

Shit!

'I don't want to be discovered!' Surprisingly, the god of bad luck must have had a lunch break that time, the rejected man, crying, ran so fast that he did not even notice the hiding her one bit.

"Oh, dear God." Yuzu silently sweared.

How many times had she sweared for just a small soul-wrecking moment?  
Just when Yuzu was about to exhale out of relief, an unrelenting voice, loud enough, went all the way to the deepest portion of her ears.

"I'm sorry to break your eavesdropping moment, but up until when are you going to hide there?"

"Geh.." Yuzu peeked at the corner of the wall to look at the woman of her concern.

To be greeted by a pair of cold blue eyes, to be greeted by a long, beautiful, swaying black hair,  
To be greeted by the Student Council President, to be greeted by the girl of every man's dreams, to be greeted by Aihara Mei. To be greeted by _the Aihara Mei._  
Yuzu was stunned. Her ice-like cerulean eyes never left her. She felt like she was being analyzed by the greatest government official present in their country. She was extremely trembling to death.  
But why does she eye her like that? 'Ah!' Only one reason came to her mind.

"I promise!" Yuzu shouted like a soldier in a middle of a life and death battle, earning a raised eyebrow from the raven-haired. Yuzu pressed on. "I-I swore my life that I won't tell anyone of what I heard, felt, smelled, saw and tasted earlier! E-Even to my best friend! Even to my mother! I promise, President! Please don't suspend me!"

Mei watched the brief and peculiar spectacle presented as emotionless as possible. After the blonde's speech. She lifelessly looked around and answered. "Don't bother. It doesn't matter, regardless."

"…Huh?"

"It's not like I hide this information from everybody. It doesn't even matter if the news spreads."

The student council president walked closer to the shorter girl. "But, if you'll keep your word of silence, then, you'll have my gratitude." She then walked past Yuzu like she's an unneeded stone in a middle of a lifeless park.  
Despite the ill treatment, all of which was supposed to be the correct sequence of events. She should left Mei alone. She should not be concerned. After all, she doesn't have the right to interfere with her business, even if it means people are hurting one by one.  
She doesn't have the right to meddle, but the said reason was the main cause of what was bugging her for the past few days.  
If she won't act right now, she will definitely regret it sooner or later.  
This is her only chance.  
After a little bit of distance, the silence too fragile was broken too easily into shreds and pieces.

"Wait."

"…?" Mei's steps were halted. She was not even bothered to turn around.

Wow, Yuzu thought. Who would have thought that the academy's gorgeous goddess was a cold-blooded jerk? Nevertheless, she still needs to talk to Mei. She needs to, for her peace of mind.

For her belief of love. For her pride.

She angrily clenched her fists.

"You really have no plans of stopping this?"

"…Stopping what?" Her head slightly turned.

"This irrational challenge of yours, this stupid 'One Month Challenge' of yours." Yuzu turned her head around to look at the petrified raven-haired. "I don't know the reason why you're doing this, but I'm almost a hundred percent sure this challenge is not a solution."  
Mei then slowly completely turned around. Finally.

Her attention was finally into her. "I don't know what you're talking about." Mei raised her head around to meet the eyes of the young blonde. "Also, what I'm doing is none of your concern, Miyamura."

Yuzu gritted her teeth. "Yeah, I know,"

I damn know.

I know I'm not authorized to meddle, that's why I have to fight.

"But a classmate of mine was hurting! As a friend and as a human with a functioning common sense and emotions, I can't just let it be!" She can feel pain from her palm, she was clenching too hard.

She was unnecessarily hurting.

Mei narrowed her eyes. "He chose it."

"..What?"

"He chose to be hurt. Hurting is a consequence of loving after all, and he loved me." She flipped her hair, swaying almost too perfect. "Hurting them is not a part of my intentions. I tried to reciprocate their feelings, I really do, but no matter what I do, It's useless. I can't."

"You can't?" Yuzu angrily marched at the person of her concern. "That's your shitty reason of breaking up with countless people after accepting their confession?!" She furiously faced her eye to eye. "If you can't love that person, then stop accepting every love confession given to you, damn it! You're hurting them rather than helping!"

Mei tried to avoid the blonde's emerald eyes. She had no strength for useless fight backs. "...I had no choice. They told me they love me."

"Only that?!" Yuzu gritted her teeth. "Only that reason?!"

She was getting irritated as every second passes by.  
But her irritation faded after muttering a line that will suddenly change their fate.  
Maybe she was just too angry to process everything at the moment. Maybe she was just too offended at the Student Council President's senseless reasonings. Maybe she was just too tired of the unfairness of the world. Or maybe she was just too defenseless and careless.  
She doesn't, she won't and she will never know the answer.  
None, even a little bit, did she know, that muttering that line will be the end of something.  
and none, even a little bit, did she know, that muttering that line will be the start of everything.

"Then, if I'll confess to you right now, will you go out with me?"

Mei at first presented an blank and stoned expression. Slowly deciphering the muttered words from the angry blonde, after a few ten long seconds, her eyes started to widen and widen until her eyes tremble and started to hurt out of disbelief.  
Despite the unnoticed peculiar reaction from the latter, The blonde continued. "You won't, right? See? You can't love everybody who loves you! You'll just plant false hopes to people that you can love any kind of people but in the end, you can't! That's why.." Yuzu painfully looked downward. "That's why.. Stop this, please.. It's too unfair.."

Silence slowly engulfed the tensed alleyway. One, two, ten seconds had passed and still, no response from the taller girl.  
'I said everything I want to say.' Yuzu thought. If she doesn't want to answer then she'll let her be.  
'I did everything I can. This is enough.'  
Yuzu slightly bowed to the person in front of her. "That's all. I-I'm sorry for the disturbance... and thank you very much." After that short farewell speech, she hurriedly stride away from Mei, thinking that she needs to get away as soon as possible, since she decided that she will never ever talk to her again.  
This will be the last time that they will interact, she doesn't want to purge herself deeper into Mei's life anymore. This will definitely be the last time, she thought.  
But then again, she only thought.  
All of her plans were suddenly ruined with a simple reply from the dark haired woman.

"I can."

"...What?"

Yuzu slowly turned around. The air around them tremendously changed.

"I accept your challenge."

"Wha..?" She has a bad feeling about this. "..What challenge..?"

Yuzu was never good in predictions. Her guess were solely based on her gut feelings and never did she rely on theoretical aspects. She had never won in a lottery game even once, She always guessed the weather wrong, her zodiac sign's lucky predictions never came true, her guesses about life situations always seems to lead to failure, that's how bad she was in guesses and predictions.  
But for some indescribable reasons, she felt like her prediction that her guardian angel is the goddess of misfortune seems to be the right answer this time.  
Especially after hearing the reply of the woman in front of her.

"Starting today, I'll go out with you, and you will be my lover."

...What?

She said it with the most determined look and voice that she could give.

What?

Her eyes gravely piercing her like she was an enemy, her target to be later destroyed.

Wait.

What?!

"Wait! Wait, wait, wait, wait! L-L-Lover!? Wait! That's not what I-"

Mei interrupted her by authoritatively flipping her hair as she walked past the stoned blonde. Without giving much further ado, she replied. "I'll pick you up every weekday mornings. I'm the Student Council President so you need to wake up earlier. We'll talk about our class dismissal some other moment. We'll have plenty of our time, after all."  
Yuzu was getting dizzier as every word leaves the lips of the latter. This can't be happening, right?  
Before stepping outside the alleyway, Mei turned her head around enough to see the blonde. "Well then, see you later, Miyamura Yuzu."  
The devastated young blonde terrifyingly watched as Mei disappeared from the distance. She can't move, nor speak due to unprocessed events and a shocking conclusion.  
Everything went by so fast that she can't follow what's going on anymore.  
For the first time in seventeen years, she predicted confidently, she was almost sure that things will definitely happen the way that she imagined. For the first time, she was right.  
But her being right did not make her happy in the slightest.  
Damn, she thought. The goddess of misfortune must have been having a field day for all of this.  
She could only muttered one line after the mark of the start of her daily living nightmare.

"You're.. joking.. right?"

And thus, the challenge begins.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Decision

Hello, hello, hello!

I feel like I was in great big hibernation because of College, (and now this chapter is extremely long) I'm very sorry for the very long update!

Anyway, thank you for all the wonderful comments! I love you all! Here's my Christmas Treat to everyone!

I hope you'll like the latest chapter!

* * *

Sleeping is Yuzu's paradise.

She may not look at it, despite her heavily maintained diet and figure, Sleeping is her favorite lover, especially on weekends.

Sometimes she can sleep almost half a day, then eat, then sleep again, then eat again, then sleep for the rest of the day.

_*beep beep*_

It all started when a certain page in a popular beauty magazine suggested a tip that sleeping will make a woman look young. Interested, Yuzu tried that tip, and later on, it became her undying sickness.

*beep beep*

She didn't care about the time. For her, she wants to feel every resting time especially her lovely dream, that one time a prince was waiting for her in a white knight clothing, that man kneeling in front of her and he reached her, and-

*beep beep*

'Ugh.' Yuzu frustratingly mumbled. What was her dream again? Oh, that's right. The man knelt down and-

*beep beep*

While Yuzu's favorite lover is her sleep, her greatest enemy is the entire opposite of it,

a forced disturbance from her deep slumber.

"Argh!" The grumpy blonde reached out to her buzzing phone above the pillow with one of her eyes closed, protecting her sight with the brightest light.

"Curses..! Who the hell will text me this early in the morning..!?"

With no light source, Yuzu pressed random buttons out of frustration. 'I swear I'm going to hunt this person down and...'

'7 messages'

"Huh?"

Opening one message made Yuzu to unconsciously blink rapidly.

'To: xxxxxx

From: xxxxxx

How long are you planning to make me wait?

'

What?

Still not registering what she had read, she scrolled down for the past unread messages.

'

To: xxxxx

From: xxxxx

Are you planning to sleep for eternity?

'

To:xxxx

From: xxxx

I reminded you yesterday that you should wake up early.

'

To:xxxx

From: xxxx

I'm waiting.

'

Seeing the last closed envelope inside her inbox menu, Yuzu felt an unsettling nervousness. Breathing heavily before clicking, she thought she needed to ready herself.

'

To: xxxx

From:xxxx

Within ten minutes and still no signs of you, I'll ring the doorbell of your house.

'

"...Your... house?"

Rapidly rushing through the closest window and pulling the curtains off, she can't believe what she saw.

"...Holy sh-"

Not even finishing her sentence, she rushed to her bathroom with a speed rivaling a Mach20.

Hair? She'll fix it during bus ride.

Clothes? She'll fix it during class.

Breakfast? One bread is enough, and Sanity?

Well, it's slowly disappearing after seeing a certain individual while opening the front door of her house.

Along with the waves of the leaves dances the long, silky black hair, accompanied with the red scarf, which was perfectly blending with her beauty, her cold cerulean eyes and her aura of sophistication, Yuzu was left with no words.

She didn't care about her own appearance right now because of her. If 'perfection' isn't the right word to describe her, then she doesn't know any anymore.

Her trance was broken when the opposite person finally started to speak.

"I clearly told you yesterday that I'll pick you up in the morning. You're too young for your memory to fail already, Miyamura."

"..Pick me up?" She was really serious at that time?

Upon coughing to regain her endangered sanity, Yuzu answered. "I-I know you'll pick me up in the morning, but not this time of morning!" She crossed her arms. "Wait. We're getting far of the topic here. How the hell did you find out about my address-"

"You seem to underestimate me, Miyamura. I'm the Student Council President." said Mei confidently.

"Wha.." The blonde slowly rubbed her forehead. "Then, what about my cellphone number? Only a few knew my number, you shouldn't know-"

"I told you. I'm the Student Council President."

"...Are you serious..?" Suddenly, Yuzu wants to ask some Student Council Presidents if they have the same level of common sense with this woman.

After a few seconds of idle, Mei looked at her watch and started to walk while signaling the blonde. "Nevertheless, we're getting late. Let's save the chat for later, I have a whole school body to check."

x

Yuzu sighed while absentmindedly watching her solving professor for her Calculus class. It was just a half of her day, yet she was already tired.

Her unprepared morning made her tired physically, and her awkward morning trip to school with the goddess Aihara Mei made her uncomfortable mentally. She can't even look at her nor talk to her and she was so engrossed with the book she was reading that a little disturbance to her may cause a hellish thunderstorm.

How the hell can her other dates survive the Aihara Mei catastrophe and still asking her for more? Maybe she can ask some of her past dates later.

Suddenly, her line of thought was halted when a whisper loud enough pierced through her vulnerable ears.

"Hey, hey! Isn't that..?"

"Whoah. What is she doing here?"

"Maybe she's dating someone in this class right now?"

"Damn that lucky man! Who? I heard Yamada was dating her just a few weeks ago.."

"Hmm?" Yuzu turned around, following the direction of the source of the loud chatters despite in the middle of the class.

Only to notice someone standing directly outside their classroom, relaxed, resting her body at the opposite wall without caring for the building tension from the crowd surrounding her.

Aihara Mei.

What?

What?!

What is she doing here?!

Just when the furious blonde is about to shout, the school bell interrupted her, signaling for lunch time.

Suddenly, everyone around Yuzu rushed through the door to observe the waiting Student Council President.

Damn.

"Wow, this is interesting." A familiar voice beside her said. "Looks like someone from our class is the next challenger. Sweet!"

"Harumin!" The brunette was startled with the sudden outburst of the blonde and her horrified expression. "I'm extremely hungry. Eat lunch with me, please. Please."

"Huh? Sure- Hey, wait!"

Without waiting for the reply, Yuzu pulled her best friend hurriedly and tried to escape by the less crowded door and blend with the agitated crowd.

"Hey, wait, Yuzu!'"

Just when they are about to sprint through the hallway for escape, a cold voice emerges.

"...Yuzu?"

Oh shit. Busted.

Yuzu slowly turned around to face Mei who was already making her way to the young blonde. She breathed heavily that it felt like all the nervousness in her body curled up in one place being released as she muttered her unnerving reply.

"Yo, Aihara.."

"Where are you going?" Mei authoritatively inquired despite the her being surrounded by countless gossiping students.

"Buying a lunch. Uhhm.. I don't really had a time this morning to cook, so.."

"You don't need to buy a lunch."

"...Huh?" Yuzu posed a confused expression. Little did she know that Mei's reply will terrify all the corners of her being.

Mei stiffly raised her hand holding a blue packed lunch making everyone's eyes within the vicinity widened. Followed by a five word horror story that will almost paralyze the blonde and everyone for very long time.

Almost forever.

"I've packed you a lunch."

Suddenly.

Everyone, even Yuzu, is in ruins.

"Whaaaaat?!" The whole was filled with suspense chatter and gossips and jaw droppings. For two years, Mei never packed a lunch for her lover. She is known to be the one courted than the one courting, up until now, not with someone as crazy, clumsy and troublesome as Yuzu.

"Wait!" Yuzu desperately grabbed Mei's little misunderstanding is getting dangerous as every second passes. "Please, wait!"

She needs to clear this as soon as possible. She needs answers as soon as possible.

"Why?! Why are you doing this?!"

Mei's eyes were filled with a mixture of astonishment and confusion when the Yuzu asked her.

Why, she wondered.

She should know the answer more than anybody else.

"Why, you ask?"

She should know, the idea came from her after all.

"Why? Aren't you my girlfrie-"

"STOP IT!"

Good thing she realized it on time. Good thing she moved on time. Good thing she covered the Student Council President's mouth with both of her shaking hands on time.

Or else,

Her peaceful and stressless student life will definitely silently pop and disappear like a fragile tiny bubble.

Yuzu heaved an extremely heavy sigh. This is so getting out of her control.

"Let's continue this talk somewhere." Yuzu hurriedly pulled Mei away from the restless crowd and turned a bit to mutter a short apology to her confused bestfriend before ascending the stairs leading both of them to the rooftop.

x

Yuzu ponderously closed the door after she dragged a clueless Mei to the rooftop. She grumpily marched to the other girl and aggressively tapped her chest for several times. "You..!"

"...?"

"You.. Argh! What am I going to do with you!" Yuzu scratched her head a million times. "I have so many complains that I don't even know where to start!"

"Then tell it to me one by one."

"One day isn't enough!"

Realizing that her voice was raised, Yuzu tried to relax as fast as possible which was almost impossible.

The blonde glared at the raven-haired lady for a ten odd seconds and she noticed that she was really waiting for her complains. "Okay.. Okay then.. First of all.." Yuzu crossed her arms and angrily muttered. "Don't ever do something like that again."

"Do what..?"

"All of it! You waiting in front of my class, you almost revealing what's us!" Yuzu gritted her teeth out of anger. "If people knew what is then we'll definitely be the talk of the town for God knows how long and your reputation will definitely be ruined!"

"I told you I don't care about reputation at all-"

"I do care!" Yuzu almost shouted. "Don't say it like that because I do care!"

Mei's brow raised along with her widening eyes as she listened to the furious rants of the blonde.

Yuzu slowly massaged her forehead as she continued. "Please don't ever do that again. Either text me or wait for me here and I'll come to you, just please, don't wait in front of my class ever again. Understood?"

"..Earlier was not my fault, our professor dismissed us earlier than your class and-"

"Understood?!"

"..Y-Yes.." Mei is starting to doubt who is really the Student Council President in this current situation.

"Okay." Yuzu seemed to calm down for a bit and answered the other girl with a slight nod. "Now, for the next topic, I need to confirm this."

Yuzu looked at woman in front of her with her right hand placed on her hips.

"What is 'us'? What really is 'us'?"

Mei raised a brow and briefly answered. "Why? I thought I clarified myself yesterday. You're my girlfriend." She looked at her with utmost sincerness.

"And I'm serious with that, I'm serious with you."

Yuzu battled the other's gaze with all of her understanding as she close her eyes.

"I expected as much. I guess we're not on the same page, then." Yuzu heaved a quick sigh. "You being my lover, first and foremost, was never in my intentions. I told you everything yesterday because I think what you're doing is wrong, and not because of my personal interest."

"..." Mei's gaze unfaltering, giving the young blonde a hard glare for a ten-odd seconds.

Yuzu tried to avoid her eye. She knew she was guilty, she knew she was the center of the enlarging catastrophe.

Things are getting out of hand.

If she wants to save what's left of her and the Student Council President, she have to end it now.

"If you want, we can end this relationship right now and-"

"No." Without batting an eye, the dark haired woman met Yuzu's eyes and answered her without any hints of hesitation.

Immediately, Mei sternly marched to Yuzu. "I won't break up with you just because of that petty explanation. It's your fault that I misunderstood."

The pressure of Mei's abounding presence infiltrating her space caused her to make a few backing steps until she reached the rooftop door.

"Take responsibility." Mei intensely whispered as she placed one of her hand beside Yuzu's head, trapping her in her mystifying rapture.

"Wait, Aihara-"

"I will prove to you that I can love."

"What..?"

Sweats forming as Yuzu felt Mei's breath closing in. Her ears burning and hands clutching, she can feel her stomach burning.

The heat is aggressively engulfing her.

Wait.

A few inches away from each other.

Stomach..

A sudden inkling hurriedly pushed the young blonde to place a hand in between the undefying tension. "Wait, young woman."

"...?" The taller girl raised a brow out of confusion, which Yuzu took an advantage from.

She quickly stole the packed lunch box from the other girl's free hand, she raised it aggressively enough to create a small space in between them.

Yuzu visibly exhaled. Thank heavens for this small packed lunch as her ultimate saving grace.

"Before anything else, let's have our lunch."

x

Yuzu easily proclaimed that her first lunch with the Goddess is her most stressful lunch ever.

No words were forming in between the bites and the drinks. Every pause was filled with intense stares and undefined tension.

Yuzu thought the lunch was her last and greatest lifeline, well in fact, she was feeling the opposite, she actually took the bait of the indescribable disaster.

But why did it come to this?

'_Take responsibility.'_

She knew she was the origin.

"... Responsibility, huh.." Yuzu lowered her head painfully. She never thought a word spoken so small will become something huge enough to affect almost all of the academy's population.

She knew she can't back out now, but something had been bothering her.

'_I will prove to you that I can love.'_

That was what the taller girl uttered, with words filled like all of her pride and humiliation depended on it.

Yuzu stole a glance to the dark-haired girl beside her. Out of all the times she had been in a relationship, why only now?

Why not to her past relationships?

Why only to her?

Every person she dated requested for her love. She had all the opportunity of the world, but why only now?

Then suddenly, Yuzu remembered something.

Along with the winter breeze that passes by the two troubled individuals, her blonde hair gently brushes the vision of her emerald eyes, she realized.

'_I can.'_

She had her answer the day the challenge was made.

As the dark haired girl closed her eyes to feel the air, Yuzu finally understood the real challenge.

What Mei Aihara wants is not to prove her ability to love,

Rather, what she wants is to reassure herself that she can still love.

She wants to save herself.

Aihara Mei needs someone, and that someone, by chance, is her.

But can she do it? Yuzu was never had been confident in relationships. In times like this, Aihara Mei should rely to someone who had plenty of experiences.

She should not be the one. She could run away right now and avoid the Student Council President if she wanted to.

But.

"Aihara," Yuzu said as she looked at her directly in her vacant, cerulean eyes.

She knew will regret it for the rest of her life if she backed out.

"I've decided."

It's not just responsibility anymore.

"Let's continue the challenge."

She will let her own instincts and beliefs take over the uncertainties of her heart as she decided.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Library Disaster

**A/N: **Ciao, everyone!

Thank you so much for the support! \\(*u* ) Since College is starting again in a week, I quickly finalized chapter three and here it is! I'm so sorry for the grammatical errors, still, I hope you like it! I love you all!

x

_Day 4_

Every people in this world unintentionally declares a certain event as disaster if some signs have been met in a distinct situation.

For example, if a young girl happily goes to school, then she realizes she forgot her pink umbrella, and suddenly the clouds turn dark, the girl will instantly conclude that a day will not end smoothly.

Or another example, if Harumi Taniguchi spots a sandal fitting for an adult woman at the entrance of their home, she will immediately know that her day will not be a good one, especially with the presence of her older sister.

Everyone has their signs of their own misfortune.

Thus, a certain blonde holding an unsolved Math worksheet, while sitting in a library, after releasing a distasteful growl, Yuzu easily concludes that this will be her catastrophe.

"Harumin, please enlighten me." Her eyebrows twitching, desperately binding her frustration as she loudly taps her mechanical pencil in her blank worksheet. "Why the hell are we in the library if Math's supposed to be a free time today..?"

Harumi sighs at her extremely stressed best friend. "You should know the answer to that question, Yuzucchi." She then continues her writing as she explains. "Since our Math professor is absent, a worksheet is given to us, and someone convinced our next professor to continue to work on this worksheet as long as we're in the library. Figures."

"And who convinced our History Professor? He's a very hard nut to crack! How can someone convince that old geezer-"

"Again, you can answer that question yourself, Yuzucchi." Harumi stopped writing and pointed the tip of her mechanical pencil to Yuzu. "Is there anyone possible other than our Student Council President?"

"What… Oh, right." Yuzu released a sigh that even her soul could feel her frustration. "You're definitely right."

She suddenly understand everything.

The class after their recess was supposed to be Math. In the middle of their class, the professor announced that she will be absent a day after due to her attending a certain prestigious event, the news almost excites everyone in their class, especially the blonde.

But never did they know that the next Math class was in 2-A, which is Mei Aihara's homeroom class.

Since a worksheet was given while the professor is not around, the Student Council President requested for class 2-C and class 2-A to do their task in their library, with the reason of "Better focusing and more Resource Materials".

Of course, it was easily approved, it came from _the_ Aihara Mei, after all.

Which resulted to the current situation. Why? She definitely doesn't have the slightest bit of inkling.

The blonde scratched her head for the nth time. She looked at her watch and almost thirty minutes have passed since their settlement at their library and she still has no progress. Oh, Heavens.

"I told you what's happening right now, so isn't it about time you tell me what's really happening?"

"Huh?" The blonde stopped her scratching as she looks at the brunette which was still unwaveringly answering her worksheet. "'What's really happening'? What do you mean?"

"You know what I'm talking about." Harumi then sternly glanced at Yuzu. "Since the lunch event two days ago, and suddenly this two classes collaborating, I'm quite sure everything is not a coincidence."

The brunette glared. "You are involved with the Prez in some ways, am I right?"

"Huh…?" At first the blonde blankly stared at the opposite girl, after comprehending, she suddenly stood. She stomped her hands at the table harder than what she anticipated as she decreases her distance with the brunette, hoping for a defense of her innocence in regards to the claim. "Huh?! W-W-Wait! What are you talking about! I—"

She suddenly halted. No voice was suddenly coming out as she felt she destroyed the atmosphere of the place she is currently residing.

She was answered with silence and a hundred gazes.

Realizing what she did, she slowly bowed and wincingly descended to her seat.

Harumi raised a brow and crossed her arms as she looks at the defeated young blonde. "I guess that's my answer."

Yuzu waved her hand to protect her slowly cracking voice. "Really, Harumin.. What are you talking abou-"

"You can't lie to me, Yuzucchi." Harumi sighed. "I know I can't assume anything without any proof, but I've been thinking a lot lately. Tell me honestly." She leaned to her best friend as close as possible. "You're the new challenger."

"I-" Yuzu can feel the chill within the gaze of the brunette. She looked away as much as possible, but she can still feel the deathly gaze.

A few seconds have passed and their positions haven't changed. She can feel her sweat forming every millisecond. She was burning, and if the staring contest continues she will definitely turn into ash.

Harumi was definitely frying her entire being.

"I…"

Yuzu internally cursed a million times. She then realizes she can never lie to her best friend.

"I… had no choice." Yuzu exhaled. She was defeated. Harumi smirked as she continues to be the reigning champion. Yes, she was entirely defeated.

Harumi returned her focus back to worksheet and returned Yuzu's personal space. Yuzu breathed heavily. It felt like years have passed since she encountered fresh air.

"... Harumin, I.."

"I won't ask for any details yet."

"Huh?"

"Based on your reaction, it's complicated, right? I guess admitting your involvement is fine for now. We're in a public place, but after today you will tell me everything, okay? Everything." Harumi innocently smiled, and Yuzu cringes. This is definitely a death threat.

"…Am I that obvious?"

"Yeah, for me, that is." Harumi flipped the page of her work sheet. "You're a bit paranoid about almost anything this week, and you're really restless every time Prez is mentioned in class."

"I see…" Yuzu rested her chin in her palm. She closed her eyes as she sighs.

"Don't worry though, no one other than me suspects a thing." Harumi slightly glanced. "At that time when you pulled Prez to the roof top, I told them you're just having a 'normal friendly' argument with her."

Yuzu blinked for a few times until she slightly smiled with her best friend's reassurance. "I'm really lucky to have you, you know?"

"Of course! I'm one of a kind, young woman." Harumi grinned.

After mouthing a small "Thank you", Yuzu looked down and grimaced. Upon the mention of 'rooftop', she recalled everything that has transpired two days ago.

"_Let's continue the challenge."_

Her declaration was entirely clumsy, but she doesn't regret what she said.

Wait.

That's when she noticed that she hasn't seen the dark-haired woman since the start of her self-declared 'library massacre'.

She slowly rolled her eyes around the whole library to find her, until her motion stopped as she finally located her.

She is two tables away behind Harumi.

She is at most four meters away.

Yet, Yuzu was still captivated. Her eyes opened wide.

Aihara Mei, wearing a violet-shaded reading glasses, her long eyelashes softly touching the frame, her silky hair touching the corners of the paper, her smooth, unmanicured but perfectly clean fingers slowly tapping her mechanical pencil as her clear cerulean eyes intensely reads every single word she encountered at her mostly finished worksheet.

At that moment, Yuzu was in trance. She is now fully absorbed by the beauty of the dark haired woman. She thought she could stare at her for years and she will never get tired at looking.

All of the sudden, Yuzu's breathing hitched when a cerulean eyes met hers.

Aihara Mei was looking at her.

Everything in her suddenly stopped functioning.

She doesn't know how to describe what was happening. She can't move, she can't speak, and she is entirely trapped within a void that only Aihara Mei can generate.

What could be the right term to describe this feeling? Is she enchanted? Is she currently spell bounded?

Or maybe she is spirited away?

If it is, then she wants to be enslaved forever.

Suddenly, a book was closed a bit loudly, the sound coming in front of her, her state of mind suddenly recovered. She desperately broke the eye contact and as she forcefully tried to normalize her breathing.

"Hey, blondie." Harumi shoved her Math book inside her bag. "You're screaming red, you know that?"

"S-Shut up! I-I-I'm answering this worksheet!" Yuzu suddenly flips a page from her worksheet, which results to a failing attempt of regaining composure.

She knows she's failing. Now she's entirely unfocused because of a certain Student Council President.

Speaking of the woman, she stood up as she removes her reading glasses. Fully aware of her presence, Mei slowly marched to a bookshelf nearest to Yuzu and scanned several titles.

Having a faint idea of what was transpiring, Harumi smirked.

After choosing a title that provided a bit of interest to the dark-haired lady, she slowly retrieved the books. Before passing at the blonde's designated table, a brunette suddenly raised her hand.

"Hey, Prez! Do you have a moment?" Harumi smiled while waving.

Yuzu can't describe the horror she was currently experiencing.

Astonished at the sudden summoning, she calmly marched to the pair. "Yes, Taniguchi-san. How may I help you?"

Harumi pointed her mechanical pencil at her currently horrified friend. "Well, you see, my best friend here is struggling in number one about the factoring of polynomials. Are you finished at that item? Can you help her?" Again, Harumi innocently smiled. Yuzu felt like her spirit left her body at the sudden development.

"Harumi, You..!"

"Let me see."

Mei bended down, her head reaching the level of the blonde's, she slowly tug a hair behind her ears, their face only an inches apart.

Her fingers brushing her own as she slides it when she reads the question, "Ah, this item. First, you need to find a common factor for the constant." She starts explaining.

Her words continued to flow like a lullaby to Yuzu's ears, but she can't understand a thing.

Her eyes are so beautiful.

"… After you list the possible factors…"

She smells so good.

"... You need to check every single pair..."

Her skin is so warm.

She is stuck looking at her.

"… This two numbers fits the equation. Thus these are the answers. Is my explanation clear, Miyamura?"

Again, for the second time, Yuzu has been trapped inside her cerulean eyes.

She can feel her breath. Her lips and her's are inches apart.

"Y…"

_I wonder how it would feel if her lips are pressed against mi-_

"Yes!" Yuzu used all her remaining energy to harshly pick up her mechanical pencil, and she erratically scribbled random numbers against her worksheet. "Yes! Y-You're explanation is perfectly clear! I can answer this question much faster now! Oh my God, this is so easy!"

"I see."

What did she do to her? What spell did she use to make her feel this way?

She was the one who declared, she should be the stronger one.

She won't lose. She can't lose now.

"I'll return to my table, then." Mei said with a small bow.

"Thank you very much, Prez!" Harumi said while saluting.

As Mei leaves the table, she slipped a piece of paper under Yuzu's worksheet. After a few seconds, her presence has blended finally again with the rest of the crowd.

"You're really obvious." Harumi smirked while looking at her best friend. "You look like a tomato."

"You're so dead after this, Harumin." Yuzu said as she massaged her head to calm herself down. "You are so dead!"

After an hour, the two classes packed their things for the resume of classes.

Noticing a small piece of paper sticking under her worksheet, Yuzu silently reads the letters scribbled.

"Meet me at the Chagall Café after class."

Yuzu sighs.

She will never look at the Library the same again.

x

"Just a cup of coffee, please." Yuzu smiled.

As soon as she finishes ordering, she picked a couple's table slightly a bit far from the entrance to avoid any encounters from someone from their school.

A few years ago, a mini mall was built a few blocks away from their academy. It has now become a custom to the students from her academy to stroll around the mall after class, especially dates and shopping. Of course, with that said, Yuzu almost memorized the mini mall like the back of her hand. She and Harumi won't last a week without looking at the department store, after all.

The Chagall café was one of the stalls of this mini mall, but it is quite hidden. That woman picking this place as a rendezvous was not surprising, since their unusual situation really requires for unusual places, or to express it better, Yuzu was actually quite amazed that she knows this café.

Yuzu sipped a bit of her coffee as she glanced at the lights outside the café. It's nearing Christmas, the environment is slowly becoming colorful. Couples are walking everywhere, seeking each other's hands for warmth, smile dancing in their faces. Yuzu can't help but to be infected with the cozy atmosphere.

"Couples, huh?" Yuzu softly muttered. She slowly chuckled at the idea that she is seating at a couple's table when she's alone, and it may take a long time for her to be alone too, since Student Council Work might take a long while.

Aihara Mei, Yuzu thought, what does she want to talk about that it needs to be in Chagall Café? It really feels like they are a couple.

Wait. A Couple. Yuzu cupped her face. She suddenly imagined herself walking around with Aihara Mei, holding hands, sharing each other's warmth, smiling-

"Why are you grinning alone, Miyamura?"

A voice she just lately knew and slowly starting to be accustomed to suddenly pull her back to the reality.

Her blazer cleanly folded and hanging around her arms, slightly flustered, her breathing a bit staggered, a few sweats gliding on her forehead, all the clues are leading to her running here to Chagall Café.

Yet, how can she still be beautiful?

"I'm sorry, the meeting took longer than usual."

"I-It's okay! Don't mention it!" Yuzu slightly waved while turning away. "Just calm down first."

"Thank you, I'll gladly take up your offer."

After a few minutes of resting and ordering, Aihara Mei has finally relaxed.

"Do you like this place? I chose this because I thought we can converse more comfortably here."

"Yeah, I guess so. This place is... a bit alluring." Yuzu said as she rests her chin into her palm. _Just like you. _

Mei slightly smiled. "I'm glad to know your tastes are still intact."

"Hey, woman. What does that mean?" Yuzu raised her brow. "Other than that, what are we going to talk about, anyway?"

"Direct to the point, I see." Mei slowly retrieves a magazine from her bag and gently places it on the table.

"Here."

Yuzu knitted her brows. She definitely recognizes this magazine.

It's a magazine for couples. It has a section about tips about dating, gifts for their lovers, advices, everything related to love.

Aihara Mei and Love, it's definitely an unusual combination, which makes Yuzu also unusually nervous.

"W-What's in this magazine?"

Mei confidently crossed her arms. "You'll see. Turn it to page twenty three."

Yuzu, while slowly getting terrified like revealing a test score in her finals in Algebra, she obediently flips the magazine in page twenty three.

And Yuzu confirmed her graveyard.

'Top ten most popular dating spots in Tokyo'

_Please don't tell me…_

Mei then displays a playful smirk.

And that is the final nail in Yuzu's coffin.

"We're going on a date."

x


End file.
